Rome, May 11 A day after he was hit on his head with a water bottle as he signed autographs after winning a match, Serbian tennis legend Novak Djokovic went to sign autographs at the Italian Open wearing a helmet here on Saturday.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion made light of the scary moment he had faced at the Italian Open on Friday when the bottle accidentally fell from a fan’s bag and landed bang on Djokovic's head as he signed autographs.
The Serbian tennis star was seen clutching his head and slumping to the ground soon after the incident but a tournament spokesperson later said Djokovic’s “condition is not a cause for concern.”
Djokovic made light of the entire incident on Saturday as he reached the Foro Italico with a helmet.
The six-time Rome champion returned to the venue on Saturday for practice and approached the fans to sign autographs with a helmet on. "Today I came prepared," he wrote on social media.
After the No. 1 player in the ATP Rankings defeated Corentin Moutet on Friday, he was signing autographs for fans in the walkway that leads players off the court. A fan leaned over, and a water bottle accidentally fell out of their bookbag and struck Djokovic in the head.
"Novak Djokovic on leaving the Central court at the end of his match was accidentally hit on the head by a water bottle while signing autographs to spectators. He underwent appropriate medication and has already left the Foro Italico to return to his hotel; his condition is not a cause for concern," tournament organisers said in a statement shortly thereafter.
The 36-year-old reassured his fans from his hotel room.
"Thank you for the messages of concern," Djokovic wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "This was an accident, and I am fine resting at the hotel with an ice pack. See you all on Sunday."
Djokovic had a big smile on his face as he interacted with the fans on Saturday. The top seed will next play 29th seed Alejandro Tabilo.
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